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How Bad Do We Want It?

I know all of you have been stalking the weather report trying to figure out when you will squeeze in your weekend long run. I admit, I too have taken a peak at the weekend forecast.

What’s even worse is that technology now tells us what the temp is really going to feel like on an hour by hour basis. So log onto AccuWeather and take a look for yourself.

According to this ever so accurate chart, tomorrow mid-morning to early afternoon is the best window. SOLD! I’ll take it.

Honestly, that was my only option so I’m not even sure why I looked. So I’ll be slugging out my miles tomorrow around 11am. What are you going to do? As I see it, if you are training for a spring race, there aren’t many options:

Run outside in the elements;

Run inside on the dreadmill;

Run on an indoor track if you have access to one; or,

Skip your long run.

So it comes down to how bad to you want it? How bad to I want it? How bad do WE want to get to our spring races and do the best we can possibly do on that given day?

You have choices. There is always a choice. You may not like the options but there are always choices. I hope that you choose to get outside this weekend and run your miles.

This is exactly what I’ve been doing all day today! I just keep checking to see if there is any change. Now we’re supposed to be getting a lot of snow. I have 18 miles to get in, so I’m gonna do it one way or another!!

I’m up for 18 tomorrow also. I’m planning to do part on the treadmill before my husband gets home from work, then take the rest outside when he gets home. I’m crossing my fingers that there won’t be too much snow. Lol!

Yes, crossing my fingers and toes and praying; that the snow isn’t that bad…..one forecast said 2-4 inches by morning…….just want this to be a good run, I need to get a good 20 miler in!! Good luck to you and be very carefull!!

I feel for you guys training for early spring races. But I’m glad my next goal race isn’t until May 5; and it’s only a half. I’m planning to use February for lots of strength and cross-training and running only if I want to and NOT thinking about a training plan for the first time in like a year. But best of luck to the rest of you! I hope this weather warms up.

Yay! Other people check the hourly weather updates, too! I thought I was the only extreme weather geek. On weather.com, they sometimes even tell you the exact minute they expect rain and snow to start on the hourly pages.
Have a great long run! 😉

Yes, the wind is a killer. And if you bike, wind on the bike is very dangerous. I live in the “middle of nowhere” and the wind is out of control. I’ve learned over the last couple of years to just pack it up and take it to the trail so that the trees at least provide a wind block.

I was thinking about you guys! I was driving to the trail at 1pm. Hubby got stuck late at work so I ran 9 on the TM, then got off, showered, did some laundry, fixed the kids lunch and laid down with Michael to get him to nap. It was hard as heck to get up out of his warm bed to head out to run in the snow. LOL!

Maybe you would be proud of me…my training schedule called for 17-mile long run, but the timing not good cause had to be in Bloomington Friday evening for rehearsal for son’s wedding the next day at 2:30 pm. I saw the forecast that indicated cold early on, but getting to high of ca 28F Sat afternoon, but it didn’t indicate accumulating snow.

I went down prepared with gear to run in the cold, but didn’t bring the Yak-Trax. Up at 5am and on the road a little after 6:15 am to find the Constitution Trail at Tipton Park planning for a 7 am start. Missed the road and headed to far E, then stopped at some gas station to get a better fix on intersecting roads and use Tom-Tom to navigate me there. Finally found it, but by time parked and ready to go…ca 7:30 am.

But…was not prepared to run on trail surfaces with 1-2″ snow accumulation. But…went out anyway to just get it done as best I could. Started slow…heading S into a pretty stiff wind, but my plan was never to go further than 2.5-miles from the start at the park, then turn it back and head out in N-direction then back, repeating and mixing up out-n-backs until I got the desired mileage.

And I learned an important lesson when it comes to running in snow….best to have Yak-Trax or ice-spikes on your shoes…cause if you run long-distance in snow in standard trainers…you gonna pay the price. I did the standard routine of first 3-miles far slower…but after a while finally was hitting some miles at 8:30-8:20, especially with the wind to the back. But without Yak-Trax to get that solid bite and grip, the legs take an extra beating from inefficient toe-off. It’s sort of like running in sand…but not quite as bad since parts of the trail get packed down somewhat by other runners.

End result was by 14-miles…the legs were so cold, stiff and aching…couldn’t feel anything let alone get them to push harder. So…those last few miles were painfully slow slogging through snow and slush at 9:20 to sometimes as slow as 9:40. I miscalculated a little bit on my last out and by time I got back to the parking lot up to 17.6 miles….so I just kept running close to the park and finish out at 18-miles….something like 2 hrs 44 min or so.

Got back to motel by 11 am and a long hot shower somewhat helped to relieve aching leg muscles and joints. Then dressed and off to the wedding site by 1 pm and a long day and evening a wedding event…in not so comfortable Dunhill Tux shoes. Someone remarked why I ran 18-miles in such nasty conditions with a wedding soon to follow. And I remarked when you make a commitment to train for a marathon and you into 8th week of training…you find a way to get it done…regardless of the conditions. No excuses!

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